NBA star Kyrie Irving caught on camera arguing with fan in brutal defeat
NBA star Kyrie Irving got a fan ejected during the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday with the 31-year-old getting an NBA official and security to intervene
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Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was caught on camera arguing with a fan during Sunday’s 110-104 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The stoppage in play came with 8:46 left in the third quarter and the Hornets leading the Mavericks 59-52.
The fan, who was wearing a Washington Redskins hat and a DC United shirt, was pointed out by Irving to an NBA official. Security then went over to the man and had him escorted out of his seat - but they were met with boos.
It’s unclear what the fan said to earn an ejection, but video caught Irving saying: “Say it to my face. Apologise. Apologise. That’s what I thought.”
It’s not the first time Irving has had problems with fans while playing for the Mavericks. After Dallas lost its third game in a row last Friday further slipping away from playoff contention, Irving heard boos from his own home crowd, which he addressed after the game.
"You obviously want to play well, but it's only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks," he said after the game. "If the fans wanna change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level."
The 31-year-old point guard has only been with the Mavericks six weeks. He joined after a four-year stint with the Brooklyn Nets. Irving hasn’t won an NBA championship since 2016, when he was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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The 2011 first overall draft pick says he’s still adjusting to his new Mavericks teammates. "And we're still feeling each other out in a way of getting used to each other's efforts and attitudes and temperament," Irving said. "And that's a real thing. That's a human thing. That's a human element. Whether people believe it in basketball or not, there's a very fine line between winning basketball games and everyone being on the same page and losing basketball games and things splintering and pointing fingers."
The Mavericks have seven games left in the regular season. They sit 11th in the Western Conference and play the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.